NFL Personnel Seems to Have Ranked Browns David Njoku too low Amongst Tight Ends
Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku had a breakout season in 2022 with Jacoby Brissett as his quarterback for the majority of the way. At age 26, Njoku finally looked the part and what the Browns envisioned him being when they selected him in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
The numbers haven’t always been there for Njoku, who can blame a large part of that on past injuries. But he did have a couple of solid seasons previously and has always possessed a strong skill set to be a matchup issue for opposing defenses. Despite all of that — players, coaches, scouts, and executives voted Njoku as the 12th-best tight end in the NFL in a study revealed by ESPN.
- Travis Kelce – Kansas City Chiefs
- George Kittle – San Francisco 49ers
- Mark Andrews – Baltimore Ravens
- Dallas Goedert – Philadelphia Eagles
- Darren Waller – Las Vegas Raiders
- T.J. Hockenson – Minnesota Vikings
- Kyle Pitts – Atlanta Falcons
- Evan Engram – New York Giants
- Pat Freiermuth – Pittsburgh Steelers
- Dawson Knox – Buffalo Bills
The next group of players was named as an honorable mention, meaning they were up next in the amount of votes they received.
- Dalton Schultz – Houston Texans
- David Njoku – Cleveland Browns
- Noah Fant – Seattle Seahawks
- Tyler Higbee – Los Angeles Rams
- Hunter Henry – New England Patriots
- Cole Kmet – Chicago Bears
Additionally, five more tight ends received votes:
- Mike Gesicki – New England Patriots
- Gerald Everett – Los Angeles Chargers
- Zach Ertz – Arizona Cardinals
- Logan Thomas – Washington Commanders
- Juwan Johnson – New Orleans Saints
- Josh Oliver – Minnesota Vikings
When looking at the list there is no arguing that perhaps the best tight end ever, Travis Kelce, has the No. 1 spot on lock. There are no real questions for me until you get to Evan Engram. There is a case to be made that Njoku is simply the better football player than Engram, as well as Dawson Knox. Personally, I would easily take him over Dalton Schultz, too.
In 2022, Njoku missed three games and recorded 628 recovering yards and four touchdowns. If it weren’t for the miss games, he was on pace for 763 receiving yards. Njoku is a big recovering threat in the Browns’ offense, he’s basically a wideout at times. He’s a strong blocker and that’s another thing that does not get talked about enough.
This coming season, Njoku is going to have a chance at a full season with quarterback Deshaun Watson at the helm. In the past, Watson has loved to feature the tight end. It would be no surprise if Njoku tallies at least 750 receiving yards and six touchdowns. I think that’s a fair number if he can stay healthy.
Nonetheless, there are not 11 tight ends in the NFL that should be chosen ahead of Njoku. In 2023 he will have a chance to show the naysayers and it will be interesting to see.
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